This is an ongoing archive and blog of reviews and commentary by W.L. Swarts!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Naked Juices Mighty Mango Is A Worthy, Flavorful Drink!

The Good: Very nutritious, Tastes goodThe Bad: ExpensiveThe Basics: Naked Mighty Mango might have an initial aroma that turned me off, but it more than made up for it with its delicious flavor and worthwhile nutritional benefits.

In addition to the fact that they were on sale, I truly began my reviews of Naked Juices bottled smoothies because I wanted to be more useful to my readers. I have gone through almost the entire line of Bolthouse Farms beverages and reviewing Naked Juices gives consumers a good comparison between two similar product lines. That said, I’ve been picking up Naked Juices much more sporadically; usually when I find them on sale or on clearance right before they expire. The latter was how I got my hands on the Mighty Mango 100% Juice Smoothies and I think perhaps the best endorsement of them would be for me to admit that I would purchase this beverage again, at full price if I had to.

I picked up the standard 15.2 fl. oz. bottle of Mighty Mango smoothie and the four bottles I had, which were three days away from expiring when I drank the first couple, tasted consistently good compared to the one I ended up having on the final day (supposedly) of its viability.

Basics

Naked is a health drink brand, which is like an energy drink except that is designed for more of a full-health solution and they tend to taste better. This is a fruit juice that is packed with nutrients. Naked Mighty Mango comes in a 15.2 fl. oz. plastic bottle that is rectilinear, smooth and very portable. The #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the opaque rich orange liquid, which looks much like carrot juice or peanut butter soup in a bottle. Naked Juice products is one of the leading manufacturer of healthy prepared beverages, mostly of 100% Juice Smoothies, like Mighty Mango.

The 15.2 fl. oz. bottle is intended to give consumers just under two servings, which is both ridiculous and annoying. To make up for it, Naked Juices puts the nutritional values for both the single serving and the whole bottle, which is decent of them. Would it actually kill the manufacturer to make the bottle a full 16 fl. oz. and give consumers two full servings? I think not.

Ease Of Preparation

Naked Mighty Mango 100% Juice Smoothie is a liquid in the 15.2 fl. oz. bottle and is a ready-to-drink beverage. So, preparation is as easy as shaking the bottle vigorously and opening it. Mighty Mango has a plastic cap that easily twists off and can be put back on in order to reseal it. It is important to note that this is supposed to be refrigerated, so quality of the beverage will degrade if it is left out at room temperature before or after the bottle is open. This has a pretty standard security seal ring around the lower half of the cap and informs the consumer as to whether the product has been opened by cracking off when the top is twisted.

Taste

It might seem ridiculous for me to note that Naked Mighty Mango smells lightly of carrots, because one might figure I am simply reacting to the color of the drink. However, recently I was quite nauseated by the Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice (reviewed here!) and I had a powerful reaction to smelling the Mighty Mango that reminded me instantly of my very visceral reaction to that beverage. There is a stronger mango and citrus scent, but there is an underscent of carrots and that caught me off guard.

On the tongue, Mighty Mango is dominated by the flavors of mango and banana. The mango instantly manifests on the tongue as a sweet, slightly tangy citrus flavor that finishes with the hints of orange and apple juice that are present in the beverage. The aftertaste, however, is all banana. Almost as soon as the beverage is swallowed, there is a distinct dry, sweet taste that is the definition of banana. This is a good combination as mango and banana seem to complement one another in an absolutely delightful way.

Despite having an instantaneous dry aftertaste from the banana, the Mighty Mango Juice Smoothie has no lingering aftertaste and the result is that Mighty Mango is a fairly decent thirst quencher.

Nutrition

As a healthy fruit beverage, Naked Mighty Mango Protein Juice Smoothie is designed to fill in some of the nutritional gaps one might have in their diet, without compelling consumers to take a pill. Nutritionally, Naked Mighty Mango is a good option for those who are dieting or are trying to improve their health. Mighty Mango is primarily composed of mango puree, apple and orange juices. It contains nothing bad, which might be why it expires so quickly. It is Vegan compliant, has no added sugar, preservatives, or genetically modified ingredients!

This drink is also very healthy for you. One serving of Mighty Mango has 150 calories and no fat. While there are 36 grams of carbohydrates, the beverage has no cholesterol and a gram of protein! There is a negligible 10 mg (less than 1% RDA) of sodium in each serving. A single serving is a significant source of Vitamin A.

Storage/Clean-up

Naked Mighty Mango Protein Juice Smoothie comes in a plastic bottle and it keeps for only a few weeks. The bottle I bought in the middle of July had an expiration date of July 16, 2012, which was why I was able to get it so inexpensively. This beverage must be refrigerated!

This drink is a fruit product and an opaque orange. If this gets on clothes, it will certainly stain them, at least light clothes. Consult a care guide for your clothes, though I suspect light clothes would need bleach to get this out. Still, the drink wipes off surfaces easily with a cloth, assuming they are impermeable.

Overall

Naked Mighty Mango 100% Juice Smoothie is a great alternative to less nutritious fruit juices, despite the expense.